Photographic film assemblage for use in diffusion transfer



April 1967 E. D. COTTA ETAL 3,314,791 PHOTOGRAPHIC 'FILM ASSEMBLAGE FOR USE IN DIFFUSION TRANSFER Filed Sept. 20, 1963 ATTQRNEYS United States Patent 3 314,791 PHOTOGRAPHIC FIIiM ASSEMBLAGE FOR USE IN DIFFUSION TRANSFER Ezio l). Cotta, Dorchester, and Vaito K. Eloranta, Needham, Mass, assignors to Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 310,381 18 Claims. (Cl. 9676) This invention relates to photographic film assemblages and particularly to film assemblages including photographic sheets impregnated with liquids.

In the copending U.S. patent application of Edwin H. Land, Ser. No. 298,968, filed July 3l, 1963, now US. Patent No. 3,254,583, there is disclosed a photographic product in the form of a film assemblage designed for use in apparatus such as a handheld camera and comprising a photosensitive image-recording sheet including a succession of areas adapted to be photoexpose-d, a second sheet impregnated with an aqueous alkaline liquid and a container for the liquid impregnated second sheet. Each successive area of the image-recording sheet, following exposure, is pressed into contact with an area of the sec ond sheet to effect the treatment of the exposed imagerecording sheet to produce, for example, atransfer print on the second sheet. The liquid carried by the second sheet preferably has a high pH, i.e., at least 12, so that storage of the liquid impregnated second sheet both prior to and following loading into the apparatus (camera) presents a substantial problem. The aforementioned application discloses a camera including a container f r holding the liquid impregnated sheet after loading and suggests various liquid and gas impermeable container constructions for storing the second sheet prior to loading into the camera.

Objects of the present invention are: to provide a photographic film assemblage including a novel and improved container for holding a sheet impregnated with an aqueous alkaline liquid; and to provide a film assemblage as described which is inexpensive, compact and easily assembled, and includes a container which can be readily loaded with the liquid impregnated sheet and sealed against the passage of gas and water and can be readily opened to permit the withdrawal of the liquid impregnated sheet.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide a photographic film assemblage as described including a photosensitive image-recording sheet and container for the image-recording sheet constructed to function as a tool for opening the container holding the liquid impregnated second sheet; and to provide a container construction which facilitates threading of the end portions of the photosensitive and second sheets between a pair of juxtaposed pressure members of apparatus in which the film assemblage is employed.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product pOsses'sing the features, properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the film assemblage of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a section of the film assemblage; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective view,

partially in section, showing a portion of the film assemblage.

In the aforementioned Land application there is disclosed a film assemblage comprising a photosensitive image-recording sheet includin as the photosensitive material thereof, silver halide; an image-receiving sheet coupled with the image-recording sheet and comprising a liquid impermeable support and a permeable layer carrying an aqueous alkaline liquid of high pH adapted to be pressed into contact with the exposed image-recording sheet to produce a positive transfer image in the imagereceiving layer; and asealed liquid and gas impermeable container for holding the liquid impregnated, imagereceiving sheet. The film assemblage is employed in apparatus such as a camera including a container for bold ing the image-receiving sheet, means for sealing the container against the passage of gas and liquid into and from the container, means for opening the container when desired to permit withdrawal of the image-receiving sheet and means including a pair of pressure members for pressing successive areas of an image-receiving sheet into contact with exposed areas of the image-recording sheet as the image-receiving sheet is withdrawn from the con tainer. The container for the liquid impregnated, imagereceiving sheet is required, for obvious reasons, to be impervious to the liquid and the vapor thereof and to be sealed against the passage of the liquid and vapor. Equally important is the sealing of the container. against the admission of gas, particularly carbon dioxide, in order to maintain the pH of the liquid at a high level. However, the problem of sealing the container is complicated by the necessity of providing for easy opening of the sealed container and intermittent withdrawal of its highly corrosive contents and, in addition, providing for coupling of the leading ends of both sheets, one of which is stored outside of the container (e.g., in a separate container), so that the two sheets are registered when superposed and can be easily threaded in superposition between the pressure members.

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein there is illustrated a container 10 for holding a coil of a liquid impregnated image-receiving sheet 12. Container 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body including a peripheral wall 14 and end walls 16; an axial slot 18 in the peripheral wall through which the image-receiving sheet portions of wall 14 of the body of the container which, for the sake of ease and convenience of manufacture and assembly, is formed in two substantially identical sections each including one-half of the body including wall 14 and end walls 16 and one of lips 20. The container is formed of a material which is compatible with and impervious to aqueous alkaline liquids, water vapor and gases, particularly carbon dioxide. Materials particularly suited for this purpose include many of the organic plastics such as polystyrene, which lend themselves to fabrication by molding processes.

The two sections of the formed by molding, cured to one another container are designed to be are preferably identical, and are seat the abutment of the edges of wall 14 and end walls 16 by known means including, for example, cementing, heat sealing and the use of solvents. In order to provide for a more secure seal :between the two sections of the container, the edges of walls 14 and 16 are provided with mutually engageable shoulders 22 providing greater contact area and a form of labyrinth seal. This can be accomplished by forming one end half of each section so as to fit the opposite end half of another identical container section.

24, of lips 20 are conanother when the conprojections in the form of serrations 28 on the insides of the lips.

Image-receiving sheet 12 is coiled within the body of the container with leading end section 26 extending through slot 18 between lips 20 where the leading end section is gripped by serrations 28. Lips 20 are bonded to one another at edge portions 24 as are the abutting edges of peripheral wall 14 and end walls 16 so that the container is completely sealed and the leading end of the image-receiving sheet is coupled with lips 20. Fabrication of the container sections and assembly of the loaded container are obviously an operation which can be performed effectively, easily and inexpensively.

The image-receiving sheet may be of the type disclosed in the aforementioned Land application or in the copending US. application of Edwin H. Land, Ser. No. 298,967 filed July 31, 1963, and comprising a water impermeable and alkaline impermeable base layer on which is supported a water permeable and alkaline permeable, imagereceiving layer swollen by an aqueous alkaline liquid having a high pH (at least 12). The base layer may include a sheet material such as paper while the water permeable and alkaline permeable, image-receiving layer includes polyvinyl alcohol swollen by the liquid. The liquid impregnated, image-receiving sheet described is especially adapted for producing multicolor photographic transfer prints according to the process disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,983,606, issued May 9, 1961, to Howard G. Rogers, and utilizing integral multilayer negative incorporating dye developers such as disclosed therein. In this process the multilayer negative (sheet) is exposed and superposed with a second sheet including a receiving layer for image forming dyes transferred by diffusion from the negative sheet, and a liquid reagent is permeated into the layer of the negative containing the photosensitive ma terials and dye developers and the image-receiving layer. The liquid reagent is alkaline in nature and serves to render the other reagents, particularly the developers, reactive to develop exposed silver halide, thereby immobilizing image-forming dyes in areas where image development occurs and causing image-forming dyes in unexposed areas to transfer by diffusion to the image-(dye) receiving layer. The film assemblage of the invention preferably includes a photosensitive image-recording sheet 30 of this type and is adapted to be pressed into face to face contact with liquid impregnated, image-receiving sheet 12 to initiate the processing of the image-recording sheet resulting in the formation of a multicolor positive transfer image on the image-receiving sheet.

The film assemblage of the invention comprises an image-recording sheet including a plurality of areas adapted to be exposed and then pressed into contact with the image-receiving sheet to produce photographic prints. The two sheets are preferably about equal in length and are coupled at their leading ends so that the photosensitive surface of the image-recording sheet faces the imagereceiving layer of the image-receiving sheet when the sheets are pressed into superposition as by advancement between a pair of pressure-applying rolls. A container 32 is provided for shielding the photosensitive sheet from exposure to ambient light prior to loading into a camera. Container 32 is similar in some respects to container and comprises a generally cylindrical body having a pcripheral wall 34, end walls 36, an axial slot 38 in wall 34 through which the image-recording sheet can be withdrawn and a pair of lips 40 extending outwardly from the body adjacent the sides of slot 38. Container 32, like container 10, is also fabricated as two sections secured to one another in a lighttight manner and is formed of a material which is impervious to light actinic to the imagerecording sheet. Lips 40 are secured to one another at their ends with the inner faces of the lips constructed to provide a recess or passage 42 for gripping or receiving lips 20 and two thicknesses of a sheet material to be described hereinafter.

Container 10 is opened to permit withdrawal of imagereceiving sheet 12 by breaking lips 20 away from the body of the container at the juncture of the lips and wall 14. To facilitate breaking of the lips at this point the lips are weakened adjacent wall 14 by V-grooves 44 formed in the inner faces of the lips closely adjacent slot 18 and the juncture of the lips with wall 14. V-grooves 44 may be provided in either the inner or the outer faces of the lips; however, the construction shown with the grooves in the inner faces is preferred since it insures that any sharp edges remaining after breaking of the lips are spaced from slot 18 so that sheet 12 is not scratched during withdrawal from the container through slot 18.

Lips 20 are designed to be broken from the body of the container by flexing or bending the lips about their juncture with wall 14. The film assemblage includes means in the form of a tool or wrench for engaging the lips and facilitating the bending of the lips to cause their rupture. This tool comprises container 32 which can be easily grasped and lips 40 of container 32 which fits around and engages lips 20 during flexing or bending of lips 20. The provision of a tool for bending lips20 is particularly advantageous since the lips are relatively short and would be difficult to grasp'and bend manually. When lips 20 are broken from the container the image-receiving sheet remains coupled to the lips, being engaged therebetween.

.The leading end of the image-recording sheet and/or a connecting sheet 46 coupled with the image-recording sheet extends from the body of container 32 through slot 38 and from recess 42 and is connected to one of lips 20 thereby coupling the leading ends of the sheets. The film assemblage is provided with lips 20 engaged within recess 42 between lips 40 and with connecting sheet 46 extending from passages 42 around the outside of one of the containers (shown as 32) and thence back upon itself into recess 42 where it is joined to one of the lips 20. A retaining element 48 comprising, for example, a pressuresensitive tape, is secured to connecting sheet 46 and the opposite container (shown as 10) for holding the two containers together in the position shown in FIG. 1 with lips 20 engaged between lips 40.

Loading of the film assemblage into a camera is a simple operation and involves first removing retaining element 48 and then grasping the containers in separate hands and employing container 32 to bend lips 20 until they break from the body of container 10. The containers are then separated and loaded into their appropriate sections of the camera which, in the form shown in the aforementioned Land application, includes two chambers disposed on opposite sides of an exposure aperture. Lips 20 coupled with image-receiving sheet 12 and image-recording sheet 30 are then threaded between a pair of pressure members (e.g. rolls), and the camera is then-closed and readied for use by advancing connecting sheet 46 between the pressure members until an area of the imagerecording sheet is in position for exposure.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the construction of the film assemblage is simple and inexpensive comprising as its essentials two sheets and two easily fabricated containers. Although the film assemblage contains all of the materials required for producing a plurality of multicolor photographic prints, it is small and compact and the containers insure that the sheet material will remain in good condition during ex tended periods of storage. The film assemblage can be '5 handled without danger of impairing the chemical or physical properties of the sheet materials and loading of the film assemblage into a camera is performed rapidly and easily without contact with the alkaline liquid.

Since certain changes may be made in the above product without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photographic film assemblage for treating successive exposed areas of a photosensitive image-recording sheet with an aqueous alkaline liquid having a high pH,

a container for storing a second sheet impregnated with said liquid and dispensing said second sheet for superposition with said image-recording sheet, said container comprising, in combinaton:

a body closed at its ends, formed of a gas and water impermeable material and sealed against the passage of gas and water;

said body being formed with an elongated slot through which said second sheet is movable; and

a pair of lips comprising integral portions of said body extending outwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said slot and secured to one another at their edge portions to seal said slot against the passage of gas and water therethrough;

said second sheet being coiled within said body with an end portion of said second sheet extending through said slot between said lips;

said lips being weakened at the juncture of said lips and said body so as to break at said juncture when flexed and thereby permit withdrawal of said second sheet through said slot;

said end portion of said second sheet being gripped between said lips whereby said lips provide means for withdrawing said second sheet through said slot.

2. The photographic film assemblage of claim 1 in which said container comprises a generally cylindrical body having two sections secured to one another and each of said sections includes one-half of said cylindrical body and one of said lips.

3. The photographic film assemblage of claim 1 in which said lips are weakened by substantially parallel V-grooves.

4. The photographic film assemblage of claim 3 in which said V-grooves are formed in the inner faces of said lips at said juncture of said lips with said body.

5. The photographic film assemblage of claim 1 in which the facing surfaces of said lips are formed with projections for improving the grip of said lips on said end portion of said second sheet.

6. The photographic film assemblage of claim 1 in which said lips are coupled with the leading end of said second sheet.

7. The photographic film assemblage of claim 1 in which said second sheet comprises a support layer impermeable to water and alkali and an image-receptive layer swollen by said liquid for receiving and supporting image-forming dyes transferred by diffusion from said image-recording sheet.

8. An externally dry photographic film assemblage for treating successive areas of a photosensitive image-recording sheet with an aqueous alkaline liquid having a high pH, said assemblage comprising, in combination:

a container formed of a gas and water impermeable material, shaped to contain a coiled sheet, and sealed against the passage of gas and water except for a slot in a wall of said container;

a pair of lips comprising integral portions of said wall formed of the same material, extending therefrom on opposite sides of said slot; and

an elongated image-receiving sheet coiled within said container with an end portion of said image-receiving sheet extending through said slot and positioned between said lips;

said image-receiving sheet comprising a support and an image-receiving layer carried on said support and impregnated with an aqueous alkaline liquid having a high pH, said liquid being distributed within said image-receiving layer in sufiicient quantity to effect the treatment of said image-recording sheet when said image-receiving layer is pressed into face to face contact therewith;

said end portion of said image-receiving sheet being gripped between said lips and said lips being secured to one another at their edge portions to seal said slot against the passage of gas and water; and

said lips being weakened closely adjacent said slot at the juncture of said lips and said wall so as to break at said juncture when flexed and thereby permit withdrawal of said image-receiving sheet through said slot.

9. The photographic film assemblage of claim 8 in which said wall of said container is generally cylindrical, said slot extends axially of said wall and said container comprises two sections, each including one of said lips and a portion of said wall providing one side of said slot, secured to one another.

10. The photographic film assemblage of claim 8 in which said lips are weakened by generally parallel V- grooves formed in the inner faces of said lips at said juncture.

11. The photographic film assemblage of claim 8 in which the facing surfaces of said lips are formed with projections for improving the grip of said lips on said end portion of said sheet.

12. The photographic film assemblage of claim 8 in which said lips are coupled with the leading end of said image-recording sheet.

13. A photographic film assemblage comprising, in combination:

a photosensitive imagerecording sheet;

a second sheet impregnated with a liquid and adapted to be superposed with successive exposed areas of said image-recording sheet;

a first container comprising a body closed at its ends and having a slot through which said second sheet is movable, and a pair of lips comprising integral portions of said body extending outwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said slot and secured to one another at their edge portions to seal said slot, said second sheet being coiled within said body with an end portion of said second sheet extending through said slot and disposed between said lips;

said lips being weakened at the juncture thereof with said body so as to break at said juncture when flexed and thereby permit withdrawal of said second sheet through said slot;

said end portion of said second sheet being gripped between said lips whereby said lips provide means for withdrawing said second sheet through said slot; and

a second container enclosing an image-recording sheet and including an opening through which said imagerecording sheet is movable;

said image-recording sheet being coupled with said lips.

14. The photographic film assemblage of claim 13 in which said lips are removably engaged within said opening in said second container, the latter providing means for flexing said lips to separate them from said body.

15. The photographic film assemblage pf claim 13 in which said second container includes a generally cylindrical body, closed at its ends and provided with an axial slot through which said image-recording sheet is movable and a pair of lips extending outwardly from the last-mentioned body adjacent opposite sides of the lastmentioned slot, the last-mentioned lips being secured to one another at their ends to form a passage and cooperat- 7 ing to provide means for engaging said lips of said first container to flex and break said lips.

16. The photographic film assemblage of claim 15 in which said second container comprises two sections each including one of said last-mentioned lips and substantially half of said body, secured to one another.

17. The photographic film assemblage of claim 15 in which said lips of said first container are engaged within said passage between said last-mentioned lips for closing said last-mentioned slot against the admission of actinic light.

18. The photographic film assemblage of claim 17 in which said leading end of said image-recording sheet is coupled with said lips of said first container by a connesting sheet extending from said second container through said last-mentioned slot, between said last-mentioned lips from said passage and thence back into said passage between said last-mentioned lips where said connecting sheet is coupled with vsaid lips of said first container.

No references cited.

NORMAN G. TORCHIN, Primary Examiner.

R. E. MARTIN, Assistant Examiner. 

13. A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM ASSEMBLAGE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A PHOTOSENSITIVE IMAGE-RECORDING SHEET; A SECOND SHEET IMPREGNATED WITH A LIQUID AND ADAPTED TO BE SUPERPOSED WITH SUCCESSIVE EXPOSED AREAS OF SAID IMAGE-RECORDING SHEET; A FIRST CONTAINER COMPRISING A BODY CLOSED AT ITS ENDS AND HAVING A SLOT THROUGH WHICH SAID SECOND SHEET IS MOVABLE, AND A PAIR OF LIPS COMPRISING INTEGRAL PORTIONS OF SAID BODY EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT AND SECURED TO ONE ANOTHER AT THEIR EDGE PORTIONS TO SEAL SAID SLOT, SAID SECOND SHEET BEING COILED WITHIN SAID BODY WITH AN END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHEET EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LIPS; SAID LIPS BEING WEAKENED AT THE JUNCTURE THEREOF WITH SAID BODY SO AS TO BREAK AT SAID JUNCTURE WHEN FLEXED AND THEREBY PERMIT WITHDRAWAL OF SAID SECOND SHEET THROUGH SAID SLOT; SAID END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHEET BEING FRIPPED BETWEEN SAID LIPS WHEREBY SAID LIPS PROVIDE MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID SECOND SHEET THROUGH SAID SLOT; AND 